fact finding mission on israeli settlement building

The results of the International Fact-finding Mission on Israeli Settlement Building in the Occupied Palestinian Territories came out of Geneva on Thursday and did not mince words. The report said that Israel maintains full control of planning and implementation of its illegal settlement building program in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — and that the documented offenses may constitute war crimes.

Judge Chanet said the Mission is concerned about the impact that the Occupation has had on Palestinian children over the years.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement on Thursday backing up the report and again calling the settlement-building “illegal.”

The UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories — Richard Falk — doesn’t feel any such constraints. On his last visit to the UN — he called for a boycott of all companies profiting from Israeli settlement building in the Occupied Territories until they fall into line with international human rights law and standards. It’s something that US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice took to heart — calling it “irresponsible and unacceptable.” http://youtu.be/_pLTjrWjVYs